Driving around the country in a motor home isn’t a vacation, it’s a lifestyle. That’s the mentality of the 85 people staying in 40 motor homes on the Freeborn County Fairgrounds through Saturday as part of the Holiday Rambler International 18th annual pre-rally.

“A lot of people just like to tour. The whole idea is just to have fun,” said Holiday Rambler International Chapter President Ron Strawhacker from Bettendorf, Iowa. “It appeals to a lot of different people for a lot of different reasons.”

The pre-rally is a get-together for members of the Holiday Ramblers chapter of the Family Motor Coach Association before the FMCA 80th International Convention at the Minnesota State Fair.

Strawhacker said the pre-rallies are for U.S. families and travelers to get to know each other on a smaller scale before the international convention — named so because it gets travelers from Canada, too — where drivers of all brands of motor homes congregate.

“You build a lot of camaraderie,” he said.

Most of the rally attendees own Holiday Ramblers, but there are a few SOBs — people who drive “some other brand,” Strawhacker said.

The event kicked off Tuesday evening with hot dogs, chili and soda in the Fairlane Building and music provided by the Whistle Stop Family. On Saturday morning all 40 motor homes will caravan up to St. Paul for the larger rally.

“It’s like a whole city shows up,” Strawhacker said, adding there will be 2,700 motor homes in St. Paul. That number is low, he said, when upward of 6,000 motor homes usually attend the international events.

Many people who attend the rallies across the country are full-time motor home travelers. Strawhacker, who retired four years ago, and his wife are “most-timers,” he said, traveling seven months a year and up to 15,000 miles. The majority of the Holiday Ramblers chapter are retirees looking to keep active later in life.

“What these people are doing is living,” said managing partner of Active RV Mike Morgan from Los Angeles. Morgan travels with motor-home caravans as a vendor but also part of the group.

“It’s a fun way to be retired,” Strawhacker said.

As part of the lifestyle, he said he keeps active and is always learning things through his travels. He has been to 40 states.

The visitors — from all over the country — take day trips within 100 miles of the camp. While staying in Albert Lea, trips to the Spam Museum in Austin and the ethanol plant in Glenville are planned. In between short trips there are games, entertainment and “whatever entertains old people,” Strawhacker said.

At each rally the organizer takes photos and makes CDs that are sent to all participants as a way to remember the event. Strawhacker said he usually takes 400 to 500 photos.

Within the motor-home industry there are many chapters, clubs and groups for owners to join. Strawhacker said there are as many groups as there are interests and motor home brands.

Six Holiday Ramblers will be open for public viewing from noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at the Freeborn County Fairgrounds just past the Fairlane Building.

“We like the people, we like the lifestyle, we like the travel and the things that we do,” he said.

The motor-home lifestyle serves different people in different ways, Strawhacker said. The various rallies have seminars on living the lifestyle, service and maintaining equipment and new models or gadgets.

“A lot of people go because that’s where their friends go,” he said.

The hobby is waning a little bit with the price of gas and diesel, Strawhacker said. But more often than not motor-home owners are spending the same amount of money but traveling less, becoming more selective in the trips they take.

“It doesn’t matter what the economy does,” Morgan said. “This business thrives.”

The Holiday Rambler International chapter has been in existence for 14 years. Strawhacker has been the president for three years and a member of the group for 11 years.